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In an effort to cut salary, the New York Yankees are gauging interest around the league in third baseman Chase Headley.

Continue for updates.

Yankees Seeking Headley Trade

Tuesday, Dec. 13

Joel Sherman of the New York Post reported the Yankees are looking to potentially deal either Headley or outfielder Brett Gardner.

Owner Hal Steinbrenner reportedly wants to lower the payroll before the 2017 season.

Headley is owed $26 million over the next two years after signing a four-year deal with the team before the start of the 2015 season.

The 32-year-old has put up modest numbers since joining the Yankees, hitting just .257 with 31 home runs in two-and-a-half seasons. His on-base plus slugging percentage of .716 in 2016 was only slightly better than it was the year before at .693, which was his career low for a full season.

Headley began his career with the San Diego Padres, where he spent parts of eight seasons. His best year by far came in 2012 when he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and finished fifth in MVP voting. He led the National League with 115 RBI and tallied 31 home runs.

He has never had more than 14 home runs in any other season of his career.

If the Yankees find a buyer for Headley, 24-year-old Ronald Torreyes could potentially take over at third base after playing 34 games at the position last year.

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New York Yankees third baseman Chase Headley ended a lengthy extra-base-hit drought Thursday with a second-inning two-run homer against the Kansas City Royals. 

Headley’s last extra-base hit, a double, came on Sept. 27, 2015, against the Chicago White Sox, which breaks a streak of 124 plate appearances without such a result, per NBC Sports’ Bill Baer. 

The YES Network provided a look at Headley getting the monkey off his back:

The Wall Street Journal‘s Jared Diamond noted that Headley’s first jack of the season puts him in some interesting, maybe unfortunate, company:

Considering his contract—a four-year, $52 million deal signed in 2015, according to Spotrac—Headley is grossly underperforming. He entered Thursday’s game batting just .178 in 28 games with just four RBI before adding a pair with his home run.

The Yankees have struggled to score for most the season, but the offense seems to be coming alive as of late. Not including Thursday, the team has scored at least six runs in five of its last 10 games. This is good news, as New York has scored the fifth-fewest runs in the American League, per ESPN.com.

Perhaps Headley could be waking up as well. He is a .263 career hitter who provides a solid presence in the middle of the lineup when performing at his best. If the 13-19 Yankees are going to turn it around, they will need Headley to start breaking out.  

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Chase Headley isn’t the big free-agent fish New York Yankees fans have been waiting for. His signing won’t splash across the headlines, and he won’t single-handedly carry New York back to the top of the American League East.

But by inking their incumbent third baseman to a four-year, $52 million pact, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Yankees solidified their infield and struck a reasonable deal to boot.

Headley posted a pedestrian .229/.296/.355 slash line in 77 games with the San Diego Padres last year. However, after a trade to New York and away from spacious Petco Park, he hit .262 with six home runs and 17 RBI in 58 contests.

The 30-year-old switch-hitter isn’t likely to repeat his monstrous 2012 campaign, when he clubbed 31 home runs, drove in 115 and finished fifth in the MVP voting. But there’s reason to believe his bat will benefit from a full season at Yankee Stadium.

Then there’s Headley’s defense, which is widely regarded as superlative. He won a Gold Glove in 2012—if that award means anything to you.

The advanced statistics like him, too; his 28 Ultimate Zone Rating (UZR) was tops among all MLB position players in 2014, per FanGraphs. 

So, the Yankees got themselves a nice two-way player, and he was a (relative) bargain.

Compare Headley’s contract to the one the Boston Red Sox just handed Pablo Sandoval. Yes, Sandoval’s two years younger and is the superior hitter—but not by a landslide.

Sandoval hit just three more home runs than Headley last season and finished with a slightly lower OBP. Plus, Headley has the clear edge with the leather.

Yet Sandoval got five years and $95 million from Boston with a $17 million club option for a sixth year and a $5 million buyout, per Alex Speier of WEEI.com. 

That’s $100 million in guaranteed cash, or nearly twice as much as New York shelled out for Headley. Is Sandoval twice the player? (No, that’s not a weight joke.)

In addition to spending smart—and really, how often can you say that about the Yankees?—New York shored up its infield for 2015.

Joining Headley on the left side will be slick-fielding shortstop Didi Gregorius, whom the Yankees acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a three-team swap. 

Versatile Martin Prado, who hit .282 with 12 home runs last year, figures to get the bulk of the action at second base. 

Mark Teixeira suffered a MASH unit’s worth of injuries in 2014 but is “definitely an everyday first baseman” in the eyes of general manager Brian Cashman, per Brendan Kuty of NJ.com. In case he isn’t, Headley does have experience at first.

Then there’s that Alex Rodriguez fellow, set to return from his season-long performance-enhancing-drug suspension. A-Rod could work his way into the infield discussion, but right now, the soon-to-be 40-year-old former superstar is a big, crooked question mark.

Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com states it bluntly, opining that “except for spot duty, we’ve probably seen the last of Alex Rodriguez at third base for the Yankees…”

Simply put, Headley gives New York a viable, non-Rodriguez option on the hot-corner depth chart. That’s worth a lot by itself. Cashman discussed the importance of Headley being in New York with Kuty shortly before the signing was announced.

“He was a tremendous acquisition in the second half,” Cashman said. “A great leader. A tremendous defender. A switch-hitter with great discipline. He kind of checks off every box that we’d like a prototypical Yankee to look like.”

Headley wasn’t the biggest fish in the free-agent sea. But as they embark on the post-Jeter era and try to chart a course back to the postseason, the Bombers should be glad they reeled him in.

All statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference unless otherwise noted.

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Despite a somewhat disappointing 2014 season, third baseman Chase Headley cashed in Monday, reaching an agreement to sign a contract with the Yankees to stay in New York.

The Yankees confirmed that Headley has decided to re-join the team via their Twitter account:

ESPN Insider Buster Olney reported that the deal is worth $52 million for four years. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was the first to report the sides were agreeing to a contract.

Rosenthal would later elaborate on the nature of Headley’s agreement:

Olney also weighed in on why the Yankees made the move to bring Headley back:

The 30-year-old veteran split last season between the San Diego Padres and the New York Yankees after a trade for utility man Yangervis Solarte and minor league right-hander Rafael De Paula sent him to the Bronx ahead of the deadline. Headley finished the campaign with a .243 batting average, 13 home runs and 49 RBI, although he improved at the plate after getting dealt.

Headley hit .262 with six homers and 17 RBI in 58 games with the Yanks. The switch-hitter also reached base 37 percent of the time, which was right up there near his career best in that particular category.

Above all else, though, Headley is an elite defender. He won a Gold Glove with the Padres in 2012, and FanGraphs‘ metrics rated him as the best defensive player in baseball last season. While that tends to be an underrated skill in a game starved for offense, it made Headley far more attractive on the open market.

With that said, there were plenty of question marks surrounding Headley when he entered free agency. When the Yankees acquired him, it had all the makings of a deadline rental deal. In fact, Yanks general manager Brian Cashman even categorized him as precisely that after the trade, per MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch:

Headley added a spark to New York in the latter part of the season, and the Yankees expressed interest in bringing him back as a result, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.

However, the Bronx Bombers also had to consider the status of third baseman Alex Rodriguez. A-Rod will return to baseball in 2015 after being suspended for the entire 2014 campaign, and he mans the hot corner by trade.

Rodriguez is nearing the age of 40, though, which means there is no guarantee he will be able to handle the rigors of playing in the field every day.

Per Dan Martin of the New York Post, Headley reciprocated interest regarding a return to New York but was wary of A-Rod’s presence as well.

“I know they have a player (Rodriguez) under contract. We’ll see how that shakes out,” Headley said. “We’ll see what my role would look like. … I want to be a guy that plays. At what position? Obviously, third base I think is my strongest position. I don’t want to be a part-time guy.”

Now that the buzz and the speculation are in the rearview mirror, though, it will be interesting to see if Headley can live up to his contract.

There is no doubt he will be an asset in the field, but his hitting is a bit of a mystery. Headley showed what he was capable of in 2012 when he hit .286 with 31 home runs and 115 RBI. Although he hasn’t approached those numbers since, the ability to reach them is present.

Headley has some value regardless of whether his offense rebounds, but he could prove to be an elite signing if he comes close to his 2012 form.

Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter

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Just because Major League Baseball’s busy-as-all-get-out winter meetings are in the rearview mirror doesn’t mean the hot stove has to cool down any time soon.

Having been over the winners and losers of the busiest four days baseball has had in quite some time, it’s time to turn attention toward what still might happen next.

The offseason is only a month-and-a-half old, which means there’s enough time for a heck of a lot more moves to be made before pitchers and catchers report in mid-February.

Like, perhaps, some of these predictions.

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It is Thanksgiving, which means the holiday season is in full swing.

With Pablo Sandoval and Hanley Ramirez both going to Boston and a few other free agents already signed, it is clear that baseball’s offseason is well underway as well. Rumors are swirling and whispers are making their way across the league about which teams are after certain players.

However, one team has been unusually quiet: the New York Yankees.

It has been two seasons since the Yanks made the playoffs, and their roster is in serious need of some help, so you know that New York is bound to have an eventful winter. The question is, who are they going to get and when?

Keeping in mind that there is still plenty of time left in the baseball offseason, take a look at how likely it is the Yankees land a few guys they could really use.

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The market for free-agent hitters thinned out quickly Monday when the Boston Red Sox reportedly agreed to sign Pablo Sandoval, per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, as well as Hanley Ramirez, according to Gordon Edes of ESPNBoston.com.

With arguably the two best remaining free-agent bats now off the board, we should begin to see the market for secondary players—the guys who aren’t looking at a potential nine-figure payday—take shape.

It can be argued that some teams might have seen the Ramirez and Sandoval signings coming and decided to get ahead of the market. For example, the A’s snatched up Billy Butler last week for three years and $30 million, while the White Sox signed left-handed slugger Adam LaRoche to a two-year, $25 million pact.

There’s still an intriguing crop of hitters available on the market, but with the winter meetings on the horizon, that might not be the case for much longer.

The market for pitching is a much different story, as class headliners Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and James Shields are all waiting on each other to sign and establish a market rate for an ace. However, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the top relievers come off the board in the near future.

With all that said, here’s a look at free agents who could be the next to sign.

Chase Headley, 3B

Teams that missed out on Sandoval—including the Giants—and those that might have viewed Hanley Ramirez as an option at third base will now shift their attention to Chase Headley, the obvious beneficiary of Monday’s signings.

Headley has never been considered a potential near-$100 million free agent, but any team that signs him will be getting one of the more well-rounded players on the market.

By now, we all know that Headley isn’t going to be the guy that hit .286/.376/.498 with 31 home runs and 115 RBI with the Padres in 2012. Over the last two seasons, he’s batted .246/.338/.387 with 26 home runs and 99 RBI.

However, Headley’s career .347 on-base percentage and 10.3 percent walk rate highlight his ability to reach base at a favorable clip, and he still proved to be a slightly above-average player (103 wRC+) last season despite posting career worsts with a .243 batting average and .700 OPS.

Beyond that, FanGraphs recognized Headley as the top defensive third baseman in baseball last season, giving him the highest overall rating (22.8) thanks to an MLB-best 20.9 ultimate zone rating (UZR). More importantly, Headley also ranks first in both categories since the start of the 2012 season, with a 41.6 Def and 35.2 UZR.

One drawback with Headley is he’s entering his age-31 season and has seen his share of injuries in recent years. Specifically, thumb and back injuries limited him to 141 games in 2013, while leg and back issues resulted in 135 games played in 2014. At the same time, the fact that he played 161 games in both 2010 and 2012 could help ease some of the concerns regarding his durability.

As of now, there’s a relatively short list of teams reportedly in the market for Headley, but that’s sure to change in the wake of Sandoval’s signing. The Yankees are said to be interested in bringing him back next season, and the two sides have already had begun a dialogue, reports Wallace Matthews of ESPNNewYork.com:

According to the source, a baseball executive who requested anonymity because he is not involved in the negotiations, doubts among the Yankees’ “baseball people” about the ability of [Alex] Rodriguez — who will not have played in a major league game in more than 18 months and will turn 40 on July 27 — to play third base regularly next season have made signing Headley a priority this winter.

Meanwhile, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports believes the Giants are “likely” to pursue Headley after failing to re-sign Sandoval.

Even if it’s just a bidding war between the Yankees and Giants, there’s reason to believe Headley is going to sign sooner rather than later.

Andrew Miller, LHP

Andrew Miller, 29, was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2014, posting a 2.02 ERA, 14.9 strikeouts per nine innings and 2.5 walks per nine while appearing in 73 games for the Red Sox and Orioles.

Now, he’s looking to get paid like one of the best relievers in baseball.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported on Nov. 13 that 22 teams had contacted Miller. Now, Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports hears that Miller has multiple three-year offers on the table.

According to a report from Jason Mastrodonato of MassLive.com (h/t MLB Trade Rumors‘ Steve Adams), Miller is looking for nothing less than a four-year contract that has “astounding” average annual value. For what it’s worth, Morosi believes that multiple teams extending Miller three-year offers means he’ll likely to end up signing a four-year pact.

Normally, giving a deal of that length to a non-closer can be risky, especially one coming off a career-best season like Miller, where subsequent regression seems inevitable. But as David Schoenfield of ESPN.com writes, the market price for a reliable late-inning arms isn’t getting any cheaper, meaning Miller, entering his age-30 season, could be well worth the investment:

Miller doesn’t have a lot of wear and tear on his arm, so a three- or four-year contract should lock up his prime years. For those who don’t think teams should spend big money on a bullpen, just look at your 2014 World Series winners. The Giants had a veteran bullpen with Santiago Casilla, Sergio Romo, Jeremy Affeldt and Javier Lopez all making at least $4 million. The days of relying solely on a bargain-basement-priced bullpen might be over.

As for the market, Zach Duke has been the only notable left-hander to sign this offseason, inking a three-year, $15 million contract with the Chicago White Sox. And once Miller comes off the board, there won’t be many viable options:

However, Miller isn’t your ordinary left-handed reliever; his dominance against both right- and left-handed hitters makes him a hot commodity, and ESPN.com’s Jerry Crasnick previously heard that some teams are considering him as a closer.

“I think Andrew’s evolution in the bullpen and his numbers this year fortify the belief in baseball that he’s a closer-in-waiting—and maybe the time for waiting is over,” Mark Rodgers, Miller’s agent, said via Crasnick.

Miller’s price tag will be steep, but the fact that he wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer, thanks to a midseason trade to Boston, means he’ll likely have a variety of potential suitors, and I’d expect all those clubs to make him favorable offers.

Colby Rasmus, OF

Colby Rasmus enjoyed arguably the best season of his career in 2013, batting .276/.338/.501 with 22 home runs and 26 doubles in 458 plate appearances. His two other full seasons with the Blue Jays have been a much different story, a story featuring .225-or-worse batting averages, sub-.290 on-base percentages and worsening strikeout rates.

“Last year at the end of the season I definitely didn’t think I’d be in this position right now,” Rasmus said via John Lott of the National Post. “I thought things were looking up and I definitely was excited and didn’t see it going this way. But it is what it is. Baseball’s a crazy game, and it just didn’t work out for me.”

However, there’s reason to believe the 28-year-old Rasmus might still have some good seasons ahead of him. The left-handed hitter should continue to offer his usual above-average power in the coming years, as he’s an extreme fly-ball hitter who drives the ball to all fields with authority.

The only potential impediment to Rasmus’ power output is his health, as he’s spent time on the disabled list in three of the last four seasons.

Lastly, the center fielder’s defense is bound to improve compared to his subpar showing in 2014.

It’s difficult to predict how the market will treat Rasmus, arguably the top reclamation project in this year’s free-agent class, but there’s definitely going to be a market, and soon.

Rasmus isn’t in the same tier as Melky Cabrera or Nick Markakis, obviously, but there’s still something to be said for a younger player capable of hitting 20 home runs and holding down center field. While he doesn’t benefit from a positional standpoint with the Ramirez and Sandoval signings, Rasmus’ stock does receive a slight boost given the lack of remaining power hitters on the market.

While some teams might offer him a cheap multiyear deal, Rasmus’ age and untapped potential make him a strong candidate to sign a one-year contract, hoping that a bounce-back performance nets him a big payday next offseason.

For what it’s worth, Jeff Todd of MLB Trade Rumors believes Rasmus will sign a one-year deal worth $12 million but “would not be surprised if he ultimately scores a three-year pact.”

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The Boston Red Sox figure to be active players in the free-agent market, and they’ll need to be if they hope to compete once more in 2015.

The Red Sox need to add significant pieces to their starting rotation. They need to shore up their bullpen. And they must seriously considering pursuing upgrades at the hot corner and at backup catcher, too.

With a glut of young talent, live arms and outfielders, the Red Sox can fill some of these holes by turning to the trade market. Yet more are likely to be filled through free agency, as the Red Sox have plenty of cash to work with.

In fact, by WEEI.com’s Alex Speier‘s estimates, the Red Sox had about $52 million to spend this offseason. They’ve already spent $9 million of that retaining Koji Uehara, but that leaves plenty of cash left for one or two major acquisitions and some minor moves, too.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at five free-agent “dream acquisitions” for the Red Sox. Keep in mind that these perfect deals exist independent of one another, and that they certainly represent best-case scenarios for the Red Sox.

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A year or two ago, Chase Headley would have fetched a king’s ransom in a trade. That was not the case on Tuesday.

The New York Yankees and San Diego Padres agreed to send the third baseman to the Bronx, according to a tweet from Jon Heyman of CBS Sports:

The Yankees will also receive $1 million in cash considerations from the Pads. They will ship third baseman Yangervis Solarte and Single-A pitching prospect Rafael De Paula out to California in return.

Upon learning of the trade, Headley thanked the Pads while expressing his excitement at joining the Yankees:

Headley is playing well below his capabilities in 2014, batting .229 with seven home runs and 32 RBI. He has only walked 22 times and has an on-base percentage under .300 and an OPS of just .651.

On a positive note, Headley has been hitting well of late. He has a .323 average for the month of June, belting four doubles, one home run and nine RBI. Back issues bothered Headley throughout the season, but he is now healthy and appears to be turning his season around. He will be a free agent after the season.

Moving to Yankee Stadium alone should help Headley boost his stats. Petco Park is a notorious pitcher’s park, whereas the Bronx offers the switch-hitting Headley a short right field porch.

Even if he does not hit, Headley will improve the team’s defense, as he is one of the best third basemen in the league. He ranks second in defensive WAR among members of the hot corner and is third in defensive runs saved. He won a Gold Glove in 2012.

Headley had his best year that season, when he batted .286 with 31 doubles, 31 home runs and 115 RBI. He won a Silver Slugger and finished fifth in the MVP voting.

As important as Headley could be, it should also be noted that the Yankees did not part with any major pieces.

Solarte was good at times this season and terrible at others. He hit .254 with six homers and 31 RBI. He was demoted at one point. Meanwhile, De Paula is no one to lose sleep over. The 23-year-old is 6-5 with a 4.15 ERA in 20 games for the Single-A Tampa Yankees.

There was once a time when Headley would have commanded a team’s top prospects, but the Yankees got this deal done without including any such players. Gary Sanchez, Luis Severino, Rob Refsnyder, Peter O’Brien and others will remain with the organization, while the Yankees have brought in someone whom they think could be a big-time addition to their team.

The Bombers’ farm system has been particularly weak these past few years, so it is nice to see New York making a concerted effort to hang on to its better young players when star players are not being offered in return.

The Yankees are hopeful Headley can be a fraction of the hitter he once was, but if not, then they didn’t give up much to bring him in. It is a low-risk, high-reward situation for New York.

All stats were obtained via Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs.

Question or comments? Feel free to follow me on Twitter @GPhillips2727 to talk New York Yankees and Major League Baseball.

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Despite an injury-plagued first half of the season for the New York Yankees, the team is still very much in the American League East race, and it appears they will be buyers at this season’s trade deadline.

The team pulled the trigger on a trade for San Diego Padres third baseman Chase Headley on Tuesday afternoon, sealing the first of what could be a number of upcoming deals.

Jon Heyman of CBS Sports was the first to break the news, with the terms of the trade coming shortly thereafter:

The two players going the other way in the deal and mentioned only by last name are early-season hero Yangervis Solarte and High-A pitcher Rafael De Paula.

De Paula, a 23-year-old right-hander, was ranked as the Yankees’ No. 15 prospect heading into the season, according to the Baseball America Prospect Handbook.

With the Padres kicking in $1 million in the deal, the Yankees will only be on the hook to pay Headley $2.97 million for the remainder of the season.

“It’s bittersweet,” Headley told Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. “On one hand, there’s not many people in the game who get to play in one organization for as long as I did. I loved every second in San Diego, all positive memories. But on the same token, I’m excited to move on to a team in a race right now.”

This is the definition of a low-risk, high-reward deal, as the Yankees are hoping a change of scenery and a chance to play for a contender can awaken the player Headley was during the second half of the 2012 season.

For those unaware of his studly second-half exploits that year, they are worth recapping one more time.

After a so-so first half in which he hit .267/.368/.413 with eight home runs and 42 RBI, Headley exploded for a .308/.386/.592 line that included 23 home runs and 73 RBI in 75 games after the All-Star break.

Headley led the National League in RBI, won a Silver Slugger award and finished fifth in NL MVP voting, making him one of the most talked-about names of the offseason trade market heading into 2013.

In the end, the Padres opted against moving him or re-signing him, something they could afford to do with Headley under team control for two more seasons at that point.

Not giving him a big-money extension proved to be a brilliant move. The same can’t be said for the decision not to sell high, as it may go down as one of the franchise’s biggest regrets since they shipped a shortstop by the name of Ozzie Smith to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981.

After battling injuries during spring training, Headley was never able to get things going at the plate last year. He finished the season with a .250/.347/.400 line with 13 home runs and 50 RBI in 520 at-bats. The Padres decided to hold on to him this past offseason in the hopes that he could rebuild some value in a contract year.

Headley hasn’t been able to increase his trade value, and the Yankees saw an opportunity to buy low.

With Alex Rodriguez suspended for the year and a thin free-agent market at third base, the team opened the year with the aforementioned Solarte seeing the bulk of playing time at the hot corner. When he inevitably cooled down, the team turned to the versatile Kelly Johnson as their primary third baseman. All told, the cumulative production at the position has not been great.

Those numbers may not seem overly terrible, but when you take away the first two months of the season in which Solarte hit .299/.369/.466 with six home runs, 26 RBI and 22 runs, the production at the position has been minimal in June and July.

On the surface, it may not seem like Headley is much of an upgrade.

The 30-year-old is hitting just .229/.296/.355 with seven home runs and 32 RBI on the year, good for an 88 OPS+. However, he is batting .323 with six extra-base hits in 15 games this month, and the move to Yankee Stadium could certainly help the switch-hitting Headley.

“I think he can deliver the long ball and I think this ballpark is more conducive to that than where he came from, but I think he’s a guy who can impact you offensively with his plate discipline and his batting average,” GM Brian Cashman said, via Lou DiPietro of YES Network. “Chase is a switch-hitter who can spray the ball all over the place, and that’s what he’s been doing; I don’t see him as a big thumper, but he’s an upgrade.”

One would think the spacious Petco Park could be to blame for his limited production, as Cashman suggested, but he actually put up a higher OPS at home in 2013 (.763 vs. .731) and has done so again this year (.660 vs. 643).

Still, leaving the worst offense in baseball has to be a welcome move for Headley. The Yankees have not exactly lit the world on fire at the plate this year themselves, but entering play on Tuesday they have still scored 100 more runs this season than the Padres.

Even if Headley continues to be subpar at the plate, he still represents a significant upgrade for the team defensively in an infield that could certainly use the help.

Both Johnson and Solarte came up as second basemen and did an admirable job filling in, but there is little doubt Headley is a better option with the glove.

The Yankees have now acquired both Headley and right-hander Brandon McCarthy in July, and chances are they are not done dealing.

The latest rumor has them attached to Chicago White Sox left-hander, John Danks, according to Heyman. The need for starting pitching is obvious with Hiroki Kuroda the only member of the Opening Day rotation still standing.

Through it all, the Yankees are still just four games back in the AL East standings and 2.5 games back for the second wild-card spot.

If Headley can come in and make an impact anywhere near what Alfonso Soriano did when he was acquired from the Chicago Cubs last July, it would go a long way toward making them serious contenders.

One thing is for sure: After spending nearly $500 million to shore up the roster this past offseason, the last thing this Yankees team wants to do is miss the postseason for a second straight season.

*All stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference, unless otherwise noted.

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